Do not resuscitate

You’re right, it’s not enough. And the typical “DNR” form is not enough.

That’s why Oregon started a program called POLST “Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment”, which is in a few states now, and being developed in a number of other states.

“DNR” does not cover the subtleties of palliative care, whether oxygen or antibiotics count as “resuscitation”. It also did not adequately cover the different personnel involved, with people being treated in nursing homes, EMT crew coming to private residences, etc.

POLST is meant to cover all those possibilities. Iowa does not have a POLST program in place. I do not know the doctor from Iowa Methodist quoted, but I wonder if that may be part of an effort to get the program started in Iowa.

For information, try POLST.org, which takes you to some OHSU bioethics site.

If some frail old lady getting her ribs cracked from CPR came into my ER and had that tattoo on her chest I would stop. She is a sensible woman.